Paolo Mariano Articles - Page 20

The Toronto Raptors escaped the Brooklyn Nets by the skin of their teeth on Tuesday night, surviving with a gut-wrenching 109-108 victory at home. But aside from the pulsating win, it seemed the fans of the Raptors thoroughly enjoyed one thing: Booing the heck out of Goran Dragic. In case you’ve forgotten, the veteran guard […]

The Atlanta Hawks couldn’t sustain their strong start on Tuesday night, as they absorbed a 107-98 defeat against the Boston Celtics. Hawks star Trae Young had another strong showing with 31 points and six assists but his efforts fell short, as the Hawks dropped to 29-32. The spitfire guard managed to finish the game despite […]

If there’s one person who knows how to get past a slump, it’s Stephen Curry, Uncharacteristically, the Golden State Warriors superstar went cold during a stretch of games this season. It was as if the universe conspired to play an evil prank on Curry, who has always been accurate with his shooting. So with his […]

Coming off a loss to the Brooklyn Nets, Giannis Antetokounmpo made sure he won’t suffer back-to-back Ls on Monday night. He powered the Milwaukee Bucks to a 130-106 shellacking of the Charlotte Hornets, tallying a double-double of 26 points and 16 rebounds. But while it has become the norm for Giannis to notch a double-double, […]

Tyler Herro has been in and out of the Miami Heat roster this season due to minor injuries and health protocols. Luckily for him, the team has been able to hold the fort even with the slew of setbacks the entire campaign, a testament yet again to the understated genius of coach Erik Spoelstra. On […]

Two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference faced off in a marquee matchup on Monday night. When the smoke cleared, it was the Miami Heat who came out unscathed, hacking out a 112-99 victory over the Chicago Bulls. The Heat continued their surge, as they have now won nine of their last 10 […]

The Golden State Warriors fell short in crunch time against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night, absorbing a 107-101 loss. The Warriors are now 2-5 in their last seven outings, including back-to-back losses at Chase Center. Stephen Curry had another strong showing with 27 points and 10 assists, but he only shot 11-of-25 from the […]

Everyone knows that Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is a good judge of talent. When someone gets The King’s stamp of approval, it’s a huge honor. On Sunday, LeBron sang high praise for Iowa star Caitlin Clark, posting a photo of her on his Instagram Story with the caption: She got so much game! […]

The Utah Jazz are playing more beautiful music recently, winning eight of their last nine games to surge in the Western Conference. Their last victory was a huge one, as they escaped the league-leading Phoenix Suns, 118-114 on Sunday night. The Jazz used a balanced attack against the Suns, led by Donovan Mitchell who top-scored […]

It appears the City of Brotherly Love has found its best tandem since beefsteak and melted cheese. In their second game together, Joel Embiid and James Harden put up another stellar showing for the Philadelphia 76ers, leading the team to a 125-109 thrashing of the New York Knicks on Sunday night. Embiid finished with 37 […]

Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash recently expressed optimism about the much-awaited return of Kevin Durant. The star forward has been sidelined for weeks now due to a knee injury. Not coincidentally, the Nets have been on a downward spiral since his exit. On Thursday night, in their first game back following the All-Star break, the […]

The campaign of the New York Knicks has been turbulent, to say the least. After an inspiring run last season, the team has failed to build on its momentum despite getting key pieces. Bearing the brunt of all the heavy criticisms is Knicks star Julius Randle. He has been serenaded by boos and jeers all […]

Philadelphia 76ers guard Danny Green recently dropped a bombshell, claiming that his former teammates Seth Curry and Andre Drummond were angry at Ben Simmons for the way he was handling his standoff with the team. Curiously, all three of them got shipped to the Brooklyn Nets, where things could get more awkward. Curry, however, wanted […]

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will navigate the offseason with that guy Tom Brady no longer around. Luckily, coach Bruce Arians is still present, and the genius tactician is more than competent to steer the team to new heights. Of course, the obvious question for the Buccaneers is: Who will replace Brady? Many names have been […]

New moniker, new slate for the Washington Commanders. It truly feels like a fresh start for the squad, and coach Ron Rivera has already been trying to entice NFL stars to join them. On top of Rivera’s wish list is a franchise quarterback, something the Commanders have sorely lacked in recent years. And with trade […]

Well, it’s official. The Kemba Walker Experiment is over for the New York Knicks. It was announced that both parties agreed to shut down Walker for the rest of the season. Many praised the Knicks’ signing of Walker in the offseason, as the four-time All-Star was expected to bring firepower at the point guard position, […]

Tristan Thompson was officially introduced by the Chicago Bulls to the media on Wednesday. The team used its bi-annual exception to sign the veteran big man, who could be a solid presence ahead of the NBA Playoffs. Thompson, who was trolled by fans after his four-game stint with the Indiana Pacers before getting waived, finds […]

After a one-year hiatus due to health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Liz Cambage will make her return to the WNBA. She will be under a bigger spotlight after signing with the Los Angeles Sparks. Cambage has been in and out of the WNBA, largely because of her reluctance with the contracts. The Sparks center […]

For years now, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has been one of the leading voices in pushing for social justice. Many of his fellow athletes have followed his lead, as more and more have become extra vocal of the cause to fight for equality in the age of divisiveness and disinformation. On Tuesday night, […]

From bing bong to ka-ching, ka-ching. As in the past years, many sports fans in New York eagerly awaited Super Bowl LVI between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals. Since the New York Jets advancing to the title game is as possible as the Statue of Liberty coming to life, people from the Big […]

Former NBA guard JJ Redick recently put New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson on blast for not reaching out to new teammate CJ McCollum. On ESPN’s First Take, Redick even described Zion’s behavior as “insane.” Redick, who played one and a half seasons with the Pelicans, couldn’t fathom how Zion doesn’t do even the bare […]

Juwan Howard won’t be calling the shots for Michigan for the remainder of the regular season after he got suspended by the university for throwing a punch in their postgame handshake with Wisconsin on Sunday. The incident, which saw Howard hit Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft after Michigan’s loss, has stirred debates on whether the […]

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry had a very memorable NBA All-Star Weekend in Cleveland. Both for the beautiful and not-so-beautiful moments. Curry finally won his first All-Star Game MVP plum after leading Team LeBron on Sunday with a scintillating 50-point performance, highlighted by 16 three-pointers which he sank with relative ease. During All-Star Saturday, […]

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green never uttered an opinion he didn’t like. That’s what makes him one of the most interesting players in recent NBA history. Green’s perpetually running mouth has gotten him into trouble many times in the past. And with his latest posts on Twitter, it’s safe to assume the Warriors star […]

Tennis star Naomi Osaka has always been open about her mental struggles. For all her elite talent, she has admitted several times in the past that her mental health has been her biggest hurdle. After a much-publicized hiatus, Osaka made her return in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics to compete for her home country Japan. She […]

Just a few hours after having the time of his life in the NBA All-Star Game, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James had to deal with a sudden problem. Apparently, his Instagram account was sending direct messages to random people, asking for personal information. But according to LeBron, he got hacked. On Monday, he posted […]

The legend of Kobe Bryant will forever live in the hearts of many athletes all around the globe. His accolades are only outnumbered by the lives he touched. Now, the Los Angeles Lakers great will perpetually be attached to a prestigious award. During the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday Night, Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul […]

The best beef is petty beef. And in the NBA, there’s plenty to go around. Case in point: The long-standing feud between former Boston Celtics teammates Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Ever since Allen left Beantown to join LeBron James in South Beach, KG has given his ex-buddy the silent treatment. Zero communication. On Sunday, […]

Odell Beckham Jr.’s experience in Super Bowl LVI was definitely a bittersweet one. While he finally won an NFL title with the Los Angeles Rams, he also suffered another ACL injury—an anticlimactic end to a whirlwind season for the star-wide receiver. Beckham was playing great for the Rams in the title game, even scoring a […]

It’s no secret that Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson had their fair share of fierce battles in the hardwood during their heydays in the NBA. For a long stretch, they were undoubtedly the top two players in the league and their cutthroat competitiveness was clearly displayed. Well, apparently, despite being retired for years now, MJ […]

Stephen Curry might be the main attraction for the fans of the Golden State Warriors in the NBA All-Star Weekend, but Juan Toscano-Anderson also had his fair time in the spotlight after finishing as runner-up in the Slam Dunk Contest last Saturday. JTA was initially apprehensive about joining, but Warriors forward Draymond Green convinced him […]

The Boston Celtics have found their stride recently after soldiering on from what was a poor start to the season. Jayson Tatum didn’t shoot the ball efficiently at the onset of the campaign, but he has regained his moxie over the past month. The Celtics strung up nine straight wins before getting upset by the […]

No Kevin Durant, no Kyrie Irving, no Ben Simmons, no win for the Brooklyn Nets. The undermanned squad bowed down to the Washington Wizards on Thursday, 117-103. After an unbelievable come-from-behind win against the New York Knicks on Wednesday, the Nets couldn’t sustain their energy and fell to the Wizards for their 12th loss in […]

No jaws were left undropped on Thursday night as the Miami Heat and the Charlotte Hornets went at it in a pulsating contest. The game needed two overtimes to decide the result, with the Heat escaping with a 111-107 victory. Kyle Lowry came up big for the Heat in crunch time, scoring 12 of his […]

When you think of the Indiana Pacers, only a few legendary players come to mind. They are Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Mark Jackson, Jermaine O’Neal, Ron Artest, Paul George, and of course, Tristan Thompson? Thompson was traded to the Pacers as part of the package that sent Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings. He suited […]

Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers will have a long offseason ahead. After their premature exit in the NFL Playoffs, his relationship with actress Shailene Woodley also went out the door. They got engaged last year, but Rodgers has now missed out on not one, but two rings. The split only adds to the uncertainties […]

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has had his fair share of idiosyncratic teammates. There’s Ricky Davis, Chris Andersen, JR Smith, and of course, Kyrie Irving, just to name a few. When you’ve played for as long as 18 years in the NBA, you’ll definitely meet a lot of people along the way. But perhaps […]

One student recently had the surprise of his life after Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell appeared on the screen of his cellphone. It wasn’t a prank or a random butt dial. Mitchell called William Gustave to tell him that he was awarded a full college scholarship by the Jazz, as part of the organization’s initiative […]

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is all in on the Los Angeles Rams these days. The King watched the Super Bowl victory parade of the Rams, where general manager Les Snead wore a t-shirt that quickly went viral. It showed a picture of himself with the words, “F*** them picks.” It is a reference […]